Undergraduate Research & Creativity Grants
A page within Undergraduate Research & Creativity
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is pleased to provide funding on a competitive basis to support meaningful, campus-wide, undergraduate research and creativity activities. Students should carefully read the information provided and submit proposals that adhere to these guidelines.
In two competitions held each year, one during fall semester and one during spring semester, the Undergraduate Research and Creativity Committee equally welcomes single- or multiple-discipline proposals. This Committee recognizes that different disciplines call for different methods of inquiry. Methodologies used in the physical and social sciences will likely be different from those of the arts and humanities. Nonetheless, all proposals will need to meet certain general criteria. Ideally, research projects will result in some form of publication or a product that may be presented and disseminated through other acceptable means of communication or expression.
You may pursue projects during free time in the summer, between semesters and/or in conjunction with advanced (independent study/research) coursework for which credit might be earned. Multiple investigators may submit a single proposal and may work collaboratively on one research project.
Often a student's project is part of a larger project on which their mentor is working. If this is the case, be sure to explain how your project has its own objectives and how you have carved out a small part of the larger project as your own.
General Guidance
General guidance:
The interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research and Creativity Committee will review the proposal and there will be members who are not familiar with your field of study.
Proposals must be directed toward a general audience. Avoid the excessive use of jargon.
You must adhere to the following requirements:
- Write your grant in the forms provided in the Canvas course. Samples with instructions shown here:
- 12 font, maximum 6 double-spaced typed pages, including an abstract. This page limit does not include bibliography, references, appendices, and/or figures and images.
- Include the title of the proposal on the first page
- Number the pages
Dates & Eligibility
| Eligibility | UWL full or part-time (enrolled in at least 1 credit) undergraduate students with a cumulative GPA greater than 2.5. Students cannot graduate during the semester in which they are applying for grant funds. You must still be an enrolled undergraduate when completing your project. If you are graduating in summer after submitting the grant for the spring grant cycle, it is up to you to clearly explain to the committee how you will be able to start and finish your project before graduation. |
| Number of Proposals | Students may submit more than one proposal; however, they may only be the lead author on one proposal in any grant cycle. Students who chose to complete proposals in multiple grant cycles should be aware that if funds are limited, priority may be given to proposals from students who have not previously received funding. In any grant cycle, the maximum total amount of scholarships paid to a single student will not exceed $1,400. |
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Enrollment Guidelines |
Fall grant cycle: Students must request to the URC Grant Proposal Canvas course no later than 7 pm on Tuesday, October 15 by completing a request form. In the Canvas course, you will find the 2 mandatory documents: a cover sheet, and a grant proposal. Complete your work using the formatted templates provided. Spring dates will be announced in December/January. |
| Submission | Fall grant cycle: When the grant deadline expires, we will share the submitted files the review committee. You must have all of your necessary information submitted by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, October 22. Incomplete proposals will be removed from the review process. Spring dates will be announced in December/January. |
| Notification of Award |
The Office of Student Research, Creativity, & Experiential Learning will notify award recipients via email, typically within 6 weeks of grant submission. |
| Spending Timelines | Fall grant awards must be spent between January 1st and June 1st of the following calendar year. Spring grant funds will not be available until July 1st and must be spent by June 1st of the following year. Exceptions to these spending windows can be made with prior approval from the SRCEL office. Processing a request may take a few weeks, so please plan accordingly. |
Grant Types & Endowments
Grant Types:
| Domestic* | Individual (one student) | $2,400, of which up to $1,400 can be a student scholarship |
| Group (2 or more students) | $3,100, of which up to $2,100 can be student scholarships | |
| International** | Individual (one student) | $3,900, of which up to $1,400 can be a student scholarship |
| Group (2 or more students) | $4,600, of which up to $2,100 can be student scholarships |
* Domestic grants are for research conducted in all 50 states and all U.S. territories. You may request travel funding; however, your grant will be rescinded if travel is not permitted due to any restrictions.
** Students who will be traveling internationally must complete a travel plan approval request form via a Qualtrics survey for International Education & Engagement (IEE) no later than the grant deadline. You may request travel funding; however, your grant will be rescinded if travel is not permitted due to any restrictions.
NOTE: the number of students on a grant is counted by the number of students that would be eligible to receive a scholarship. While students who are graduating immediately following the semester in which they submit the grant can still be named on the grant and work on the project, they are NOT eligible to receive a scholarship unless they will be enrolled in any credits during the semesters in which the grant work will take place. All other grant funds will be awarded to the still-enrolled student(s).
Endowments:
There are several discipline specific endowed research scholarships (up to $1,000) and grants. You do not need to do anything extra to be considered for those listed here as they are based on your major or project topic area.
| Endowment Name | Major | Additional Requirements |
| Prairie Springs: The Paul Fleckenstein Trust | All | Project must focus on environmental studies and education, wildlife habitat protection, wildlife protection, conservation, and/or ecological technology |
| Michael and Kathi McGinley Undergraduate Research Endowment | Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Physics | Student must be enrolled full-time (12+ credits) |
| Barry Clark Undergraduate Research Endowment | Economics | Student must be enrolled full-time (12+ credits) |
| Kelly A. Rusch Opportunity Fund | Biology, Microbiology, or Biochemistry | Student must be first generation and enrolled full-time (12+ credits) |
| Jes Asmussen & Colleen Cooper Undergraduate Research Endowment | Biology or Biochemistry | Project must focus on biomedical research |
| Bange and Wine Mathematics Endowment | Mathematics or Statistics | Must apply through MTH department. Check with your mentor regarding application requirements and deadlines |
Budget Info
Scholarships:
- Scholarships will be processed via the Financial Aid office.
- Scholarships will first be applied to any outstanding bill. Any remaining amount will be paid via one of the following methods:
- Direct deposit - if you have set this up in WINGS
- Paper check - mailed to the home address you have listed in WINGS
- NOTE: scholarships may impact your total financial aid award package. Contact the Financial Aid office with any questions.
- Students may submit more than one proposal; however:
- they may only be the lead author on one proposal, and
- the total amount of scholarships awarded to a single student will not exceed $1,400 in a single grant cycle.
Travel: You may request travel; however, your grant will be rescinded if travel is not permitted due to any restrictions.
- use this link for important travel budgeting and process requirements
- If the travel funds will be used for airfare, the student will meet with the Student Research, Creativity, & Experiential Learning (SRCEL) and the ticket will be direct billed to a SRCEL account.
- Lodging and car rental will be booked via SRCEL. See the travel information page.
- All non-airfare travel will be funded as reimbursements with the paperwork submitted via SRCEL. It is important that students review the travel information page when budgeting and prior to travel.
- International travel: IEE has advised us that there are mandatory fees for UWL sponsored international travel that you will be charged. Contact IEE for the most up to date fee information. Currently, the following three fees (and how you can document them for reimbursement) may be requested as part of your travel budget, up to a total of $220:
- $50 international travel application fee (IEE fee summary)
- $100 emergency contingency fee (IEE fee summary or student bill)
- $35 per month for insurance for up to 2 months (IEE fee summary or student bill)
Supplies, services, software, and books:
- Funds will be given to the primary mentor's department, and all purchases will be made through the department.
- Students may use up to $50 for poster printing for presentation of the proposed research.
- Research participant incentives must be of an amount in compliance with UWL's payment of incentives to research participants policy. Grantees are responsible to have the specific dollar amount or value of the incentive offered included in their IRB proposal and to follow UWL's requisite policy when expending funds for this purpose.
- Other participant incentive notes: do not refer to it as compensation or calculate the amount using a "per hour" rate. No prizes or chances to win will be allowed. You must describe why an incentive is necessary.
Restrictions:
Funding is not available for the following expenses:
- any work completed prior to the grant being awarded
- expenses incurred, without SRCEL approval, prior to the grant being awarded
- travel to present research findings at conferences, workshops, etc.
- publication or printing fees, with the exception of the $50 allowed for the printing of a presentation poster
- fees for workshops, courses, tuition, or training
Compliance & Funded Proposal Requirements
If funded, students are required to:
1. Complete and submit the grant acceptance form received with their award letter.
2. Complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training in CITI.
3. Use the award money only for the purposes of the grant as designated in the proposal submitted.
4. Share the results of the project by presenting at or submitting to at least one of the following venues:
- UWL Research & Creativity Symposium. The Research & Creativity Symposium is held in the spring semester. RECEIVING A GRANT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY REGISTER YOU TO PRESENT. You must submit an abstract.
- UWL Journal of Undergraduate Research
- Other appropriate UWL campus-wide venue; prior SRCEL approval is required
Compliance requirements:
Students must be aware of the various regulations and compliances to which all University researchers must adhere. Any students with questions about research-related compliance protocols may contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Researchers do not need to have their protocol(s) submitted prior to the grant deadline; however, the required protocols must be approved prior to the spending any grant funds awarded.
- Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR): All grant recipients must complete RCR training before receiving their funds.
- Institutional Review Board (IRB): All undergraduates conducting research involving human subjects must complete IRB protocol.
- Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Examples and Best Practices
Helpful reference documents:
Blank Cover Sheet - for Fall 2024 onwards
Blank Narrative - for Fall 2024 onwards
While writing your proposal, make sure to keep in mind the Most Common Grant Writing Mistakes.
General Advice for Mentors is available.
Here are several examples of successful grant narratives and a completed cover sheet. Please note that these narratives are provided for reference. Directions, including page limits, change over time. See current guidelines for specific requirements.
Archaeology Grant Narrative - International
Chemistry & Biochemistry Grant Narrative
Computer Science Grant Narrative
Exercise & Sport Science Grant Narrative
Health Education & Health Promotion Grant Narrative - International
Mathematics & Statistics Grant Narrative
Grant Writing Hunker
A grant writing hunker for URC grants will be held approximately one week (fall semester) or two weeks (spring semester) before the grant proposal deadline. Students will have up to 3 hours to work on their grant in a quiet space. SRCEL office staff will be available to answer questions and provide feedback on grant narratives and budgets.
You don't need to stay for all 3 hours or be there at the start of the hunker. Drop in when you can and stay for as much of the time as you would like.
Attending the hunker to work on your grant, but you don't have Canvas access yet? No problem: you can request access at registration.